Hi Supporters!
After several years of survivor-led advocacy supported by Amnesty International and SARAA, the South Australian government has announced it will introduce legislation to parliament that aims to stop conversion practices.
SOGICE Survivors has met with numerous South Australian government ministers in the past 2 years, including Human Services Minister Nat Cook and Attorney General Kyam Maher. We express our appreciation for their hospitality and kindness, as well as their attention to this issue.
The proposed bill has similarities to the legislation passed by the NSW Parliament in March, however falls short of the standard set by the survivor-led model adopted in Victoria.
SOGICE Survivors is concerned about several aspects of the bill, including the lack of third party reporting. This means that victim survivors will have to report conversion practices themselves or nominate someone to do so. In the vast majority of cases, survivors take years to build the confidence and awareness required to seek justice. For most, particularly children, people with disability, and anyone still participating in practices, third party reporting is the primary method for preventing direct harm.
A 12-month window period for complaints under the current Equal Opportunity Commissioner's powers in SA is also problematic.
While we are pleased that the SA government is finally moving toward stopping these practices, it is vitally important that the legislation is effective. SOGICE Survivors has always taken the view that our public comments around legislation need to truthfully reflect how the legislation stacks up in terms of its ability to actually stop harm.
For this reason, SOGICE Survivors cannot support the bill ‘as is’, however we are very hopeful that the government will utilise the extensive survivor-led research and expertise of survivor advocates to make the required changes that will ensure truly protective legislation. These amendments are able to be (and must be) added to this bill before it is passed.
As always, thank you for your ongoing support of this petition. Looks like we will crack 100,000 signers soon, so please keep sharing and asking your family and friends to sign.
Chris Csabs